Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-03-10
WHAT 1T HAS DONE.
A Complete Review Of the Work Of the
FOrty.Ninth Congress.
List of the important Measures which
Have Become Laws, and Also
ofThose Which.Failed.

WASHINGTON, March 4-The Congress
which ended its existence at noon to-day
has afforded striking illustration of the
constant increase in the volume of legisla.
ton demanding the attention of Congress
which has been going on for the last three
or more Congresses. More bills were in
troduced in both Houses, more committee
reports made, more bills passed, more be-
came laws and more were vetoed than
/ ever before The most of these measures
were of comparative unimportance, such
as bills granting private pensions and
special relief, authorizing the erection of
bridges, granting right Of way and the
like, but manv not only of bills and re-
ports presented, but of laws enacted were
of general interest and importance. A
number of the bills enacted into laws
were old and familiar claimants for legis-
lative favor. In this category belong the
Presidential succession bill, the electoral
count bill, interstate commerce bill and
the bill for the relief of Fitz John
Porter.
The Forty ninth Congress commenced
its session on the 4th day of December,
1885, and was in session until the 9Th day
of August, when it adjourned until
December 6, and continued in session
/
10 months and 20 days, Of this time The
Senate was in session 224 days, and the
House 251 days.
There were introduced in the House
during this time 11,25S bills and 1853
joint resolutions, on which over 5000 re-
ports were made, being several thousand
more bills and over q thousand more re-
ports than were made in the Forty eighth
| Congress, which had, in its turn, beaten
the record.
In the Senate there were introduced
1857 bills and 1l8 joint resolutions, on
which 1888 written reports were made
it being upwards of 500 more bills and
400 more reports than were on record at
the breaking of the Forty Eighth Con-
gress. The total number of laws enacted
was approximately 1,431, of which
| 1903 originated in the House and 1873 in
the Senate. Two hundred and siXty-four
of these became laws by the expiration of
the constitutional 10 days limitation
Fifty bills failed to become laws owing
| to the adjournment of Congress- of them
at the close of the first session. There
were 1872 bills vetoed by the President, or
81 more instances Of the exercise of Pres
idential preogative Of the veto than had
| occurred from the foundation of the gov
| Congress. OF the vetoed bills "a origi-
mated in the House and 80 in the Senate
| But one private bill, that of granting
pension to jeremiah Romelser, and one
public bill, namely, that providing for
the erection of q government building at
Dayton, o., succeeded in passing both
Houses over the President veto, although
several others obtained the requisite two
thirds vote in the Senate, only to fail in
| the House.
The death roll of this Congress was an
extraordinary one, comprising the unpre-
cedented number of 10 names in the House
and Senate. But l election case was de-
c;ded by the House against a sitting men,
| Der, and Congress was characterized by
an absence of that acrimonious discussion
which contests usually awaken. The
Rhode Island case of Page vs. Pierce, in
which the House decided neither party
was entitled to the seat and a new cleo
ton ordered, was the one instance of the
seat being taken from the sitting mem
Der.
Of the 1 ,O50 House bills which became
laws 275 were of more or less public ma
ture, of the remaining IT'S bills granting
pensions of relief TO specially designated
persons, 1855 became laws without the APP
DTUNdl VI tuC lhC lOllO"-
ing is list of the more important House
bills which have Become laws
To forfeit the Atlantic and Pacific rail-
road land grant.
To increase the pension of widows and
dependent relatives from So to S12 per
month.
To abolish certain fees for official SER
vices to American vessels and to amend
the shipping laws (thc Dingley shipping
| billy
To amend the Thurman act.
Increase of naval establishment.
To pension Mexican war veterans
To impose tax and to regulate the man.
ufacture, sale, importation and exporta
ton of oleomargarine.
To authorize the transfer of high
wood track near Chicago to the United
States for military purposes
To protect homestead settlers within
railroad limits.
To enable national banking associations
to increase their capital stock and change
their name and location.
Making an appropriation for additional
barracks at the Southern. Northwestern
and Western branches of the National
Soldiers home.
To provide for closing up the business
of the court of Alabama claims.
To establish additional life saving sta
tionsA
Extending free delivery system to towns
of 10, 5000 inhabitants
For the sale of the Cherokee reserva-
ton in Arkansas
To amend statutes so as TO require
brewers to give bonds for three times
their estimated monthly taxes.
For the construction of congressional
library building.
To forfeit the New Orleans. Baton
Rouge & Vicksburg Railway, the back
bone land grant
To reduce fees on domestic money
orders for sums less than So.
To make allowances for clerk hire to
postmasters of the first and second classes.
To cover the cost of clerical labor in
the money order business.
To extend the immediate delivery
system.
To prohibit the passage of local or
special laws in Territories
For allowance of the 4th Of July claims
reported by accounting the officers OF
the treasury department Zone bill for each
occasion.)
For issue of postal notes in sums less
than S.. co.
To validate the general laws OF Dako-
ia, regarding incorporation of insurance
companies.
To provide for the school for instruc-
ton for cavalry and light artillery.
To provide for the inspection of tobac.
co, cigars and snuff to repeal section 4151
revised statutes.
To provide for filling the Office of
United States treasurer in the absence of
the treasurer and assistant treasurer.
To restrict the ownership of lands In
the Territories to American citizens.
To prohibit government employees from
hiring or contracting out the labor of the
United States prisoners.
To amend the act prohibiting the i'm
portation and immigration of foreigners
under labor contracts.
Amendatory of the act dividing Illinois
into judicial districts and providing for
term of court at Peoria.
Relative to contested elections
For the employment of mail messengers
in the postal service.
To regulate the jurisdiction Of the